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In memory
The Royal College of Music was saddened to learn of the deaths of a number of former students, staff and supporters.
Natalia Boyarsky
The Royal College of Music mourns the loss of violin professor Natalia Boyarsky, a much-loved teacher and wife to HÂþ» cello professor Alexander Boyarsky. Natalia died on 19 December 2025, aged 79.
Natalia Boyarsky was a hugely respected and admired violinist and pedagogue. She studied violin at the Moscow Conservatory and at the Gnessin State Musical College. She went on to teach at the Junior Department of the Moscow Conservatory from 1971 to 1990, becoming Head of the Strings Faculty there.
It was Yehudi Menuhin who invited Natalia to the UK in 1991, when she moved to London to begin teaching at the Yehudi Menuhin School. In 1996, Natalia was made a violin professor at the Royal College of Music, and went on to teach at the College for two decades. She also taught in the HÂþ» Junior Department from 1999. Many students have benefitted from her inspiring insights, including alumni such as Benjamin Baker, Corina Belcea, Charlotte Salouste-Bridoux and Alina Ibragimova, whose mother, HÂþ» violin professor Lyutsia Ibragimova, acted as Natalia’s assistant.
Natalia played a Frédéric Chaudière violin, commissioned in 2016. She regularly lent it to advanced students, and it was played in venues such as Wigmore Hall. Natalia is survived by her husband Alexander (Sasha) Boyarsky and their son, violist Konstantin Boyarsky.
Maria Cleva
The Royal College of Music was saddened to hear of the death of soprano and language expert Maria Cleva (1938–2025), who regularly collaborated with the Vocal & Opera Faculty as an Italian Language Coach. Conductor Michael Rosewell pays tribute.
Maria was among the most insightful and generous-hearted colleagues I have ever had the privilege of working with, and I was so very fortunate to have collaborated with her on around 25 operas and other projects during the time she was associated with opera at the HÂþ». The many hours spent in music or ensemble calls working with her count as some of the most informative, brilliant and helpful sharing of knowledge that I witnessed over all those years.
Maria knew the core Italian repertoire as well as anyone, and her detailed knowledge and helpful advice to young singers stemmed from the considerable experience she gained early on in her performing career ’treading the boards’ in some of Europe’s major opera houses.
As a language coach, she had an uncanny talent of helping others understand the motivation and dramatic intention of all the roles in almost any opera. Never dogmatic, always open and flexible, Maria brought a sprinkling of ’gold dust’ to the work in hand, and her influence will live on through the many singers fortunate enough to have known her and worked with her. She was a true one-off and is sorely missed.
Michael Rosewell, Director of Opera
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Michael Davis
Michael Davis, Royal College of Music alumnus and distinguished violinist, died on 13 November 2025, aged 81.
Born in Chesterfield in 1944, Michael began violin lessons at the age of five with his father, a member of the Hallé Orchestra. His prodigious talent led him to the Royal College of Music in 1962, where he studied under Hugh Bean and Cecil Aronowitz. During his time at the College, he received the institution’s highest student award, the Tagore Medal, and distinguished himself as leader of both the First Orchestras and the Chamber Orchestra. In his final week, he performed Brahms’ Violin Concerto, leaving a lasting impression on his teachers and peers.
After graduating in 1967, Michael expanded his training with study under the distinguished violinist Henryk Szeryng. Before he became a leader in London’s major orchestras, he served as Associate Leader and then Co-Leader of the Hallé, where he also appeared as a soloist in concertos by Prokofiev, Mozart and Mendelssohn. He was later appointed Associate Leader of the London Symphony Orchestra, a role equivalent to concertmaster, in which he guided the orchestra’s string section, collaborated with conductors and performed solos. He was also recognised as an Associated Board Scholar and Derbyshire County Scholar. During his time with the LSO, he was particularly admired for his performances of 20th-century repertoire, including works by Britten and Shostakovich, and can be heard on acclaimed recordings that remain in circulation today.
Michael went on to lead the BBC Symphony Orchestra, performing in broadcast concerts, international tours and at the BBC Proms. Beyond orchestral work, he was deeply committed to chamber music and mentoring young musicians. For many years, he taught and coached at the Royal College of Music, inspiring generations of violinists with his combination of technical brilliance and musical insight.
Colleagues and students alike remember him for his generosity, mentorship and lifelong dedication to music.
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Sir Sydney Lipworth
The Royal College of Music was saddened to learn of the death of Sir Sydney Lipworth KC (1931–2025), a respected South African lawyer, businessman and philanthropist.
Sir Sydney Lipworth was known for his sharp legal mind, sound judgement and unwavering integrity. Beyond his professional achievements, Sir Sydney was deeply admired for his generosity of spirit, loyalty and quiet strength.
A passionate supporter of music, he championed several cultural institutions across the UK, and served as Chair of the Philharmonia Orchestra Trust. Together with his wife, Lady Rosa Lipworth, Sir Sydney was a devoted supporter of the Royal College of Music, as members of the Director’s Circle and through generous contributions to the College’s scholarship funds, enabling gifted students to pursue their studies.
Sir Sydney will be remembered with great affection and gratitude by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
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Jonathan Lloyd
Acclaimed British composer and HÂþ» alumnus Jonathan Lloyd died on 31 July 2025 at the age of 76.
Jonathan Lloyd was born in London and took early composition lessons with Emile Spira, a former pupil of Webern. He then studied composition at the Royal College of Music, where his teachers were John Lambert and Edwin Roxburgh, and where he was awarded the Mendelssohn Scholarship. While still a student, he worked with the Twentieth Century Music Ensemble, and enjoyed success with his Cantique for orchestra.
Jonathan went on to study with Ligeti and Pousseur at Tanglewood, and he won the Koussevitzky prize for his work Scattered Ruins in 1973. His Symphony no 4 was commissioned by the BBC for the 1988 Proms, and embodied key characteristics of his style: humorous, colourful and with an inventive sense of rhythm. Alongside numerous professional commissions, Jonathan composed generously for amateur groups. He also wrote a new score for Hitchcock’s silent film Blackmail, and arranged Jonathan Miller’s production of The Beggar’s Opera for Wilton’s Music Hall.
Jonathan met his first wife, Poppy Holden, in 1968 when they were both students at the Royal College of Music. They married in 1970 and their son Ben was born in 1971. Jonathan married his second wife, Katherine Lloyd, in 1980; they had two sons, Keir and Theo. Jonathan is survived by his sons, and by his six grandchildren: Isabel, Joseph, Ollie, Owen, Rory and Kaśka.
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John Wallace
John Wallace, renowned trumpeter, composer, and educator, died on 11 January 2026, aged 76.
Born in Fife in 1949 to a brass-band family, Wallace developed his musical interests through the Scottish brass-band tradition before pursuing a professional career as a trumpeter. He earned an external AHÂþ» (Trumpet Performance) from the Royal College of Music in December 1968, and maintained a close association with the College as both a teacher and an honouree.
Wallace held principal trumpet positions with several major London orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and appeared widely as a soloist. Alongside his orchestral career, he founded the Wallace Collection brass ensemble, with which he recorded extensively and performed internationally.
Wallace joined the teaching staff of the Royal College of Music in 1983. In recognition of his achievements, he was appointed an Honorary Member (HonHÂþ») in 1984, and in 2007 was elected a Fellow of the College (FHÂþ»). John received an OBE in 1995 and a CBE in 2011, and was later presented with the Queen’s Medal for Music in 2021.
Beyond his performing career, John held several leadership roles in music education. From 2002 to 2014, he served as Principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, later renamed the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Subsequently, Wallace worked on national initiatives to widen access to instrumental music tuition in Scotland.
Wallace was also an active composer, with works including a song cycle, The Centre of Things, a Symphony for Brass Band and a one-act opera, Opsonizing Dad. Wallace remained an active performer, writer and advocate for brass music throughout his career, contributing significantly to performance, education and the development of the brass repertoire.
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Doreen Whewell
Doreen Whewell, who supported Royal College of Music students in her role as Student Counsellor, and who co-founded Nightline, died in October 2025.
Born in Scotland, Doreen later married Michael Whewell, who also worked in arts administration.
Doreen worked in the HÂþ» Parry Room Library (now the Reference Library) under Harold Watkins Shaw, before becoming HÂþ» Student Counsellor – the precursor to the current Student Services Manager. Doreen’s appointment was announced in the HÂþ» magazine in 1978. Doreen retired in 1995 having been made HonHÂþ» in 1982.
Doreen co-founded London Nightline in 1971, guided by her belief that no student should suffer alone, and that students should have a voice. She went on to work as both trustee and patron of the organisation, and is remembered by Elliott Gathercole, current Trustee and Coordinator: ‘Doreen’s passion for Nightline and the service it offered was clear, and she leaves a significant legacy. She made a real impact on me in the time that I knew her, and I know she will be missed by many.’
